Antiseptic preparation of patients for surgery conventionally includes a 3-10 minute scrubbing of the affected area with a soap solution followed by the application of a water-soluble antiseptic paint solution. These solutions are generally applied with saturated sponges that are attached to a blade or held with forceps. The sponges are saturated by soaking in open pans of solution.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,415,288; 4,507,111; and 4,498,796 describe surgical scrub devices that include a liquid-containing, rupturable, cylindrical cartridge which is slidable within a tubular handle having one or two longitudinally oriented hollow spikes that communicate to recesses in the interior of a sponge. Sliding the cartridge in the tubular handle causes the spikes to rupture one end of the cartridge. Liquid from the cartridge flows through the lumen of the spikes to the sponge. To prevent rupture of the cartridge by the spikes from impact during, for example, shipping, an embodiment of the device incorporates an inwardly projecting shoulder in the tubular handle that may interfere with the sliding of the cartridge. Ease of actuation is also a potential problem with an applicator that requires puncturing a plastic cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,684 describes a fluid dispenser that includes a liquid-containing ampoule in a flexible housing. A porous pad element is disposed over the bottom opening. The liquid is released to the porous pad by crushing the ampoule through the flexible housing walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,385 describes a dispensing applicator having a wedge used for breaking a frangible ampoule.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,268 to Andersen et al. discloses an apparatus for testing the sufficiency of sterilization. It includes an ampoule containing a sterile liquid culture medium which is broken by the user when a plunger pushes the ampoule against an opening wedge.
Coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,327, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a liquid applicator which incorporates a rigid, porous metering insert to regulate the flow rate of liquid disposed between the applicator handle and a foam sponge covering a major orifice of the handle. The liquid to be dispensed is contained in a rupturable reservoir removably affixed at the other major orifice of the handle. Since no means is provided for protecting the reservoir container, plastic is the preferred container material. However, plastic containers can limit the shelf life of many antiseptic solutions.